Tethered
by Pinklily8
Summary: "Dying isn't so bad. Oh, who am I kidding? I never even saw it coming." Some things can never be explained. A story of the end of something great, and the beginning of something that can last forever.


_**Disclaimer: Uncle Rick gets the credit for the characters.**_

Tethered

" _The souls that throng the flood_

 _Are those to whom, by fate, are other bodies ow'd:_

 _In Lethe's lake they long oblivion taste,_

 _Of future life secure, forgetful of the past."_

-Virgil

Percy woke with a groan, tightening his grip on the only thing that seemed to exist in his world anymore: Annabeth's hand. He might've laid there for a long time, trying to just make sense of what had happened, but a loud voice trampled into his thoughts.

"I can't believe it. It's impossible. Never before..."

Annabeth sat up before Percy and she nudged her husband until he moved into an upright position as well.

"Percy, what's going on?" there wasn't fear in her voice, just confusion.

"I'm not sure," the man said, holding his head not because it hurt, but out of habit.

"Every time with the jointed hands." came a mutter.

Percy ignored the voice and turned to his wife, meaning to ask her where she thought that they were, but gasped in time with her.

"Percy-!"

"Annabeth-!"

Percy cupped her face in one of his hands, staring at each inch of her face while she did the same to him.

Annabeth had always been beautiful, but this was complete overkill. Her face was smoothed expertly into the way it had looked in the prime of her life while still retaining the little character lines under her eyes. She literally glowed with a warm golden color and she looked as ageless as the sea. A simple yet elegant Grecian dress flowed about her form, only contributed to the overall look of timelessness. And by the way she was looking at him, he could only guess that he was being presented in a similar way. They looked perfect without being inhuman, ethereal while still echoing mortality.

"Ahem."

Percy frowned and stood up, tugging Annabeth up with him. She clutched his hands tightly, looking about frantically at the sandy beach surrounding them before settling on the source of the voice, a strange spirit on the shore of a river with a constantly shifting face that wasn't distinctly male or female. Whatever they were, they spoke again once their attention was on it.

"Percy and Annabeth Jackson. Saviors of the world and the gods who govern it. Parents to a few and friends of several."

It was Annabeth's turn to frown. "That's us, but how do you know?"

"How could I not?" it exclaimed, sounding frustrated. "This is the third time you've come to me."

Percy shared a look with his wife before turning back to the spirit. "We've never seen you or this place before."

The spirit sighed, deflated. "Of course you think that." he turned to glare at the pair, becoming frustrated once more. "Which means that the process worked on you just as well as any other. And yet, and yet..." the spirit trailed off, studying them like they were some problem that it couldn't solve.

"What process?" Annabeth questioned, but the spirit ignored her in stead of its on woe and confusion.

"Everything was done to give you separate spheres. Warring parents, differing circumstances for your personalities; even as far as placing you across the continent from each other." the figure frowned. "And yet here you are. _Again._ "

"And where exactly _is_ here?" Percy asked, exasperated.

The spirit narrowed its eyes. "Oh, right. Of course, you wouldn't know. You're both on the shore of the river Lethe. It is rare that any would skip Judgment, but you are an interesting case." He blinked calmly at them and intoned, "You are both newly deceased." Percy's eyes widened in shock, and Annabeth's grip loosened on his arm.

He swallowed roughly, "Guess it had to happen eventually," he lightly joked.

"So is this near the entrance to Elysium?" Annabeth inquired breezily even though she felt like the earth had been taken out from under her feet. And, since this was the underworld, the feeling was literal.

The spirit's eyes widened.

"Oh no! I don't think you're going there. I'm not sure if they've fully decided yet."

Percy and Annabeth shared a scared and incredulous look. The gods couldn't possibly be so cruel as to assign them anywhere else, could they?

Before the couple could get any other information, the ground trembled slightly beneath their feet.

A richly dressed man appeared from the ground, looking down on the spirit disapprovingly. "You certainly love your pronouns and riddles. Hasn't my daughter taught you to speak to the new arrivals more plainly? Some of them are, excuse my wording, a little brain-dead." The spirit let out a twittery, nervous little laugh before it sank into the river.

The man turned towards the pair while he shook his head at the river.

"The attendants of Lethe preform their jobs well enough but they're an awful pain."

"Lord Hades," Percy greeted carefully, although it sounded odd since he never called the gods by their titles. But he figured since they were in his domain and he could determine where they spent their eternity, it wasn't a bad time to start being semi-respectful.

"Perseus. Annabeth." Hades sounded almost bored.

"Uh, no disrespect, Lord Hades, but why are you here?" Annabeth asked, having to look up to see his face because of his imposing form.

"No particular reason. Just reveling in the fact that you meddlesome two will finally be out of my hair." Percy wasn't sure if he'd ever seen the Lord of death look so happy. "Out here, so far from my palace, I doubt that I'll ever have to see you ever again."

Percy tried to hide his relief at the insinuation that they would indeed go to Elysium with irony.

"Gee," Percy said, cocking an eyebrow, "Don't get out much to see the dead, do you?"

Hades frowned at the sarcastic man. Some things never changed, it seemed.

"My duties call me more often to the fields of punishment than anywhere."

Percy's brow furrowed at that, and, strangely, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the old god. Before he could think it through (he would always be impulsive) he spoke.

"Maybe you should visit Elysium sometime. Seeing the people who led good lives might do _you_ a world of good."

Annabeth was surprised by her husband actually trying to help Hades but recovered quickly and added in, "Not all mortals were bad people."

Hades looked annoyed, but also oddly intrigued. However, before he could say anything more, a soft wind flowed between the group. A new voice spread through the clearing.

"Father, leave them."

Hades held the two in his stony gaze for a few moments more before he sighed and vanished from their sight. In his place, a beautiful woman approached them. She smiled gently at the two and spoke with a voice not unlike a warm summer breeze.

"Welcome, blessed ones. I am Macaria."

Annabeth let out a small, choked sound and little tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"Impossible," she murmured, dazed.

"What?" Percy asked, always out of the loop. "Who is she?"

"She's, she's..." Annabeth tried to articulate, but for the first time in a long time, words escaped her.

The woman's lips curved into another smile.

"Blessed ones, I am your guide. You have done well and served many. I humbly open my gates for you. This will be a rest well deserved." she was truly happy for them.

Annabeth regained her senses and muttered in Percy's ear, "Macaria is the goddess of the Islands of the Blessed-a daughter of Hades. She takes the souls of those who achieved Elysium three times there."

Percy took a startled step back, his eyes huge.

"That's not-how-I mean, we've been reincarnated?" he stammered, holding on to Annabeth because she was the only thing that kept him from going to his knees.

Macaria nodded which only served to make Percy feel more dizzy. Annabeth, who had seen it coming since the goddess had said her name, was a bit less stalled although she was reeling as well.

"That spirit that greeted us did say that we've been here two other times," she frowned. "But he also said that we were together then too. How is that possible?"

Macaria stepped forward and took one of each of their hands, filling them with a comfortable warmth. They all closed their eyes as Macaria gave them their tale.

"You two have been an interesting case. Your first life you both lived in Ancient Greece and joined the army although the woman who housed Annabeth's soul had to pretend to be a man to join." Golden tinted images that felt vaguely familiar flashed in the demigod's minds. "You found out about each other and fell in love. The both of you became war heroes and achieved Elysium. You entered your next life as common mortals once more in another time of war for the world-and despite living continents apart, you found each other again."

"Your third life is what you remember. It is always the biggest test so you were sent to be demigods. You came when the choice to achieve good would be the most difficult path. Despite the odds, here you are once more. For the last time."

Percy opened his eyes and stared at Annabeth and found her staring back at him.

"But before being reincarnated we had to bathe in the river Lethe. Everything is wiped clean." Annabeth uttered weakly, too stunned to breathe.

Macaria smiled and took her hands back and spread them wide.

"Some things in this world will never be explained, nor should they be." she gestured to the islands. "Come, we have been waiting." She started to move away, but Percy frowned once more.

"Wait one second," he said. "What about all of our friends that we've known? Not all demigods can possibly be due for the isles."

Macaria dipped her head in assent gracefully. Percy's heart fell despite the fact that he was invited to go to the highest form of heaven-it was still hard to imagine a world without everyone else that he had loved in his life. Annabeth bit her lip like that thought was hitting her too.

"Your loyalty and kindness are noble, Percy. But the two of you need not worry. Elysium is open to you. The islands offer more than you could ever imagine."

She walked on ahead of them like she knew that they needed a moment.

Percy let out a small relieved sigh and interlaced his fingers with Annabeth's.

"Of all the things that we've ever done," Annabeth whispered, "this must be the most impressive."

Percy suddenly let out a laugh that chimed like a bell around them. He swept his wife into his arms and spun her around until she too was shaking with unbidden laughter.

He stopped and they took in deep breaths, their eyes suddenly intense.

Annabeth caressed his face with one hand and whispered against his lips, "You're mine."

Percy grinned and touched his forehead to hers.

"For eternity."

.-.-.-.

 **I know, I know. I killed them. Also I left the age that they died at and how a mystery on purpose, that's up to you to decide. This was a strange story to write-but it was a plot bunny that wouldn't go away...so here it is! Hope it intrigued you like it intrigued me.**

 **-Pinklily8**


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